Ning Zhuo, Qing Chi and the others were on edge throughout the journey.
There were no obstacles at all until they reached deep within the clouds.
"Strange, why is there no interception?"
"Could it be that the Lord of Wangchuan encountered a formidable enemy, completely ruining his arrangements?"
The Grey Bone Elder once advised Sun Lingtong, telling him that the Lord of Wangchuan defied the heavens and would inevitably be entangled, suppressed by lifespan, and faced with numerous disasters, resulting in his combat power eventually dropping to the Nascent Soul Level during the final confrontation.
Ning Zhuo rubbed the mechanical ring on his finger.
Throughout the entire ascending army process, the mechanical ring did not activate at all.
What gave him confidence was not only this mechanical treasure but also his mother.
"Mother wouldn’t harm me!"
"Since Mother let me come here, there must be some assurance."
"At worst, it’s just a bit challenging."
"Maybe the defending forces here are already wiped out, and with the military power of the Qing Jiao Army, I’ll challenge the Lord of Wangchuan!"
Ning Zhuo pondered as Qing Yan already took action.
He was a cultivator at the Golden Core Level, and he commanded military power to unleash a spell.
The spell’s power was immense, making him feel thrilled and quite pleased.
However, the triumphant move struck the swirling black clouds, only clearing a small part of the clouds, and the revealed opening was so small it was almost negligible compared to the entire black cloud.
In a few breaths, the small opening vanished, refilled.
Qing Yan was taken aback.
"What should we do about this?" Many of the Qing Jiao soldiers paused, hovering in the air.
"Let me try!" Qing Chi stepped forward, clenching her fist, unleashing blue fist flames.
The flames struck the black cloud, similar in effect to Qing Yan’s previous efforts, but to no avail.
"Before leaving, Mother didn’t instruct me on this."
"It seems we need to probe carefully to find a weak point and continue onward!"
Just as she thought this, Qing Chi furrowed her brows, a bit angry: "I don’t believe it!"
She charged at the black cloud.
Qing Yan quickly shouted, "Don’t be reckless... uh."
In the next moment, he saw Qing Chi surrounded by a flicker of dark light, the wind growing stronger, taking her like a droplet entering the sea, directly plunging into the black cloud.
Ning Zhuo’s eyes lit up instantly: "Could it be..."
Soon after, Qing Chi emerged again, shouting excitedly: "It’s Divine Arts."
Ning Zhuo’s conjecture was confirmed, and his heart was filled with excitement: "Although the Night Patrol Deity is a common deity, that one was quite remarkable. The Divine Arts granted to us have the ability to penetrate obstacles."
Jiao Ma’s father sighed: "Night Patrol, Night Patrol, just from this deity’s name one can infer the ability to freely roam the world, crossing various barriers with divine power."
This scene delighted the entire Qing Jiao Army.
What are we waiting for?
Qing Chi was about to give the order when Ning Zhuo raised his hand to stop her: "No rush."
He first called Qing Chi back, then dispatched a squad to penetrate the black cloud for reconnaissance.
The defenders hidden within the black cloud were prepared and waiting.
The only two remaining Nascent Soul Level cultivators exchanged confused glances and urgently consulted with one another.
The Hundred Ghosts Old Mother expressed concern: "This cultivation army is indeed peculiar! The Divine Arts empowering the entire army can easily breach the boundary of our array!"
"They’ve dispatched reconnaissance cavalry. How shall we respond?"
The elevated figure of Han Yan grew solemn: "Why would a mouse challenge an elephant? This cultivation army is reckless yet cautious, likely all a façade."
"We should maintain our current stance and be ready for anything!"
The two were evidently frightened by previous powerful attacks.
Originally, there were five Nascent Soul level cultivators, but now only two remained, each injured with no time to recover.
Crucially, they had yet to engage in direct combat, mostly suffering from the aftermath of clashes between powerful beings.
Additionally, the real Lord of Wangchuan had already ordered them to guard tightly to buy time.
Though unaware of what transpired on the Altar Battlefield, guessing from the Lord of Wangchuan’s orders, they figured their superior must be severely wounded.
Under these circumstances, they dared not take risks.
A small reconnaissance cavalry squad entered the black cloud, startled by more than ten thousand well-prepared Forbidden Army, and hurriedly reported back.
Upon receiving the military intelligence, Qing Chi, Ning Zhuo, and the others turned pale.
The Qing Jiao Army had barely a few hundred soldiers; as a newly formed army, it couldn’t possibly match the Forbidden Army.
Qing Chi was unsure what to do and looked toward her beloved.
Ning Zhuo furrowed his brow in deep thought.
"We must fight!" suddenly declared Qing Yan, clenching his fist, looking invigorated, "It’s just their bluff!"
"If they were truly so powerful, they could have deployed a small force to intercept us midway and wipe us out."
"Why stay firmly rooted here?"
"They are clearly extremely weakened, have sustained heavy losses, and have erected an illusion to mislead us!"
"We charge in, exposing their elaborate charade!"
Qing Chi’s eyes sparkled: "Father, so you’re powerful too!"
Qing Yan puffed his chest, snorting: "What are you saying! Your father has always been formidable."
Ning Zhuo rubbed his mechanical ring, a solemn expression on his face: "Mother instructed that we must succeed in this endeavor, or else the Lord of Wangchuan’s century-long plan will devastate countless lives."
"Charge in with full force!"
Ning Zhuo made his decision, and Qing Chi naturally followed.
The Qing Jiao Army collectively dove into the black cloud.
Seeing this, Han Yan and the Hundred Ghosts Old Mother’s faces turned grave.
"They clearly scouted ahead! In an enemy strong and us weak scenario, if they engage, they must have some backing!"
"This is clearly a feint! In the coming clash, we must hold our ground firmly, avoid impetuousness, and deny the enemy any openings."